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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — to bend
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — an aim
  8. shower — rain
  9. spell — a short time
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spell — magic
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. snap — to click
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — all right
  19. season — in sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. firm — steady
  22. object — to protest
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. season — to add flavour

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