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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. object — an aim
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ground — crushed
  5. firm — steady
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — to keep track
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — a thing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kid — child
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. firm — decided
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. firm — a company
  22. ground — a position
  23. object — to protest
  24. track — a song

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