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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — a trail
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — army training
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. object — to protest
  24. squash — to crush

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