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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — a gift
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. firm — decided
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — a position
  14. firm — steady
  15. present — there
  16. firm — a company
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pop — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ground — crushed
  24. object — to protest

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