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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. object — an aim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mark — a trace
  8. roll — a list
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — a cake
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mate — to breed
  23. sharp — clever
  24. roll — on a roll

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