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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — electricity
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bound — tied together
  7. charge — a price
  8. race — a contest
  9. field — farmland
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. race — humankind
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. field — a subject
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. field — for sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bound — obliged
  24. charge — in control

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