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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hand — in cards
  3. object — to protest
  4. staff — employees
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. object — an aim
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. suit — in cards
  11. track — a path
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bass — the fish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. track — a song
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — employees
  24. bass — low music

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