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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — soda
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pop — music
  13. fall — the season
  14. pop — to visit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. craft — boats
  20. mark — a trace
  21. object — a thing
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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