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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. land — ground
  3. object — a thing
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. degree — temperature
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. press — newspapers
  13. object — an aim
  14. land — a country
  15. degree — from a university
  16. land — to come down
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. press — a publisher
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. press — to push
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — out of danger

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