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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. object — to protest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — letters
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — an aim
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — magic
  12. pound — a weight
  13. object — a thing
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bore — to drill
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — a grade
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bore — gave birth

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