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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — to protest
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kid — child
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. object — an aim
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kid — to tease
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. tube — a container
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bark — to shout
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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