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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. clip — a video
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lean — thin
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — a measure

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