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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kick — in football
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. plane — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — to visit
  15. file — a tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. file — a document
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. craft — boats
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. craft — a skill

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