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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — an aim
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bass — the fish
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — to protest
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — low music

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