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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. object — a thing
  5. firm — a company
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — steady
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rash — a series
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — an aim
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — hasty
  24. tear — to rip

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