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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. court — of law
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — thin
  6. court — for sport
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. branch — a division
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lean — to bend
  12. court — of a king
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. object — to protest
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ground — a position
  18. saw — the tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — music
  24. ground — the earth

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