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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mark — a trace
  9. object — a thing
  10. lean — thin
  11. object — an aim
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lean — to bend
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — to protest
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. prune — to trim

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