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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. land — a country
  7. object — a thing
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rash — a series
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. land — to come down
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stand — to bear
  19. land — ground
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rash — hasty
  24. deal — an agreement

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