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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. present — there
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. court — for sport
  10. object — a thing
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — a trace
  13. present — a gift
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fall — to drop
  17. court — of law
  18. face — to point toward
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. face — to confront
  23. object — to protest
  24. present — the time now

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