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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — an aim
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rest — a break
  11. object — to protest
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rest — what's left
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. season — in sport

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