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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. object — to protest
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. object — a thing
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — decided
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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