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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mine — for digging
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — a friend
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mine — an explosive

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