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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. object — to protest
  4. season — in sport
  5. swing — music
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — rain
  13. object — a thing
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — for digging
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wound — an injury

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