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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.

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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. firm — decided
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — to drop
  5. track — to keep track
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — the season
  9. object — a thing
  10. track — a path
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — steady
  15. object — an aim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fall — to drop
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. firm — a company
  24. fan — a supporter

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