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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — a match
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cold — not warm
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — low music
  11. face — to confront
  12. game — wild animals
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cold — an illness
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. track — to keep track
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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