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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. object — an aim
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a committee
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fork — in a road
  20. object — to protest
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wake — a trail

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