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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. track — a path
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. shower — rain
  8. track — a song
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — an aim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — a thing
  20. mark — a trace
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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