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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. craft — a skill
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — happy
  10. file — a tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. squash — to crush
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — the amount
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — to protest
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. craft — a handicraft

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