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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. track — a path
  3. object — a thing
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. track — a song
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rush — hurry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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