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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lean — to bend
  3. game — wild animals
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. staff — employees
  10. race — the arms race
  11. object — an aim
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. race — a contest
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lean — thin
  19. object — to protest
  20. game — a match
  21. tube — the underground
  22. race — humankind
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mark — a grade

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