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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. season — of the year
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. object — an aim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spell — letters
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rule — a law
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. object — a thing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spell — magic
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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