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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pop — music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rule — government
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — to visit
  11. object — an aim
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. object — to protest
  17. sharp — clever
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. rule — a law
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pop — soda

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