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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mate — a partner
  5. prune — to trim
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mug — to rob
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mate — a friend
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — a thing
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bat — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mug — a face

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