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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pass — a permit
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. object — an aim
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. can — to be able to
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wake — a trail
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wake — before a funeral

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