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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — the time now
  4. object — an aim
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. object — to protest
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mug — a cup
  16. present — there
  17. object — a thing
  18. mug — a face

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