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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. scale — in music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — to trim
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — to protest
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — an aim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. snap — to click
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. prune — to trim

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