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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. drill — the tool
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. object — an aim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — to rip
  16. drill — a practice
  17. charge — in control
  18. tear — from crying
  19. charge — a price
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spell — magic
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kick — in football

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