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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. object — an aim
  3. band — a music group
  4. charge — a price
  5. lean — to bend
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — to protest
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. charge — electricity
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. object — a thing
  16. charge — in control
  17. band — a ring
  18. mine — for digging

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