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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. object — a thing
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pop — music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pop — to visit
  17. object — to protest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — soda
  23. object — an aim
  24. ball — a dance

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