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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. drill — a practice
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lean — to bend
  9. suit — to fit
  10. object — to protest
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. bulb — for light
  14. object — a thing
  15. lean — thin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. swing — music

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