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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — in music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — to protest
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rush — hurry
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rock — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tube — a container
  24. object — an aim

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