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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. object — a thing
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — moving air
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — in football
  24. dip — to sink

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