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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bat — the animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mate — a friend
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — to protest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fall — the season
  21. key — in music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fall — to drop
  24. degree — from a university

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