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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. sharp — clever
  3. object — an aim
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. band — a ring
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. object — to protest
  11. wake — a trail
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. craft — a skill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. craft — boats
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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