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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pop — soda
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pop — to visit
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spell — letters
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spell — magic
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — music
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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