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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. firm — steady
  3. object — to protest
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. object — a thing
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — for sport
  17. mark — a grade
  18. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com