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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. face — to confront
  3. object — an aim
  4. mark — a grade
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bat — the animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pop — soda
  24. chair — to sit on

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