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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. last — final
  4. rock — a stone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. firm — steady
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rock — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. firm — decided
  11. branch — a division
  12. last — finally
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — a company
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pound — a weight

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