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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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