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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. object — a thing
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fine — all right
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mine — for digging
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rash — a series
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — an aim

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