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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. snap — to click
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. object — a thing
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — from a university
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. degree — temperature
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. degree — an amount

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