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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lean — to bend
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mug — a cup
  9. key — in music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lean — thin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. object — a thing
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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