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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mark — a trace
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. object — a thing
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lean — thin
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mark — a grade

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