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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lean — to bend
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. object — to protest
  7. board — a committee
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. sharp — clever
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. board — to get on
  16. charge — a price
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. charge — in control
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — thin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. charge — electricity

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