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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. shower — to wash
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spring — the season
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spring — of water
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chip — to eat
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — a coil

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