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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — a division
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. object — a thing
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. object — to protest
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. branch — of a bank

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