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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. present — there
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — a thing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lean — thin
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. object — an aim
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. saw — the tool

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