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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — all right
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — of ice
  18. deal — to handle

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