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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. object — to protest
  3. spell — magic
  4. pound — a weight
  5. object — a thing
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. spell — a short time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cell — a phone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. spell — letters
  19. cell — in biology
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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