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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — a short time
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. object — an aim
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. object — a thing
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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