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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — happy
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — the amount
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. object — an aim
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. deal — an agreement

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