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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — a song
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. object — an aim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a path
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cold — not warm
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. track — to keep track
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. object — a thing
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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