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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 do anything ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. object — an aim
  3. rest — a break
  4. object — to protest
  5. rash — a series
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — the season
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. snap — to click
  15. spring — of water
  16. object — a thing
  17. spell — letters
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spell — magic
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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