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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ball — a dance
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pit — in a race
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bound — certain
  10. kid — child
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pit — a hole
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — tied together
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — army training
  21. bound — obliged
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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