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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. object — an aim
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — clever
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — to protest
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fork — in a road
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — exactly

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