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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — a company
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bank — of a river
  10. firm — decided
  11. fine — all right
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — a thing
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — steady
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — for money
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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