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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. suit — clothes
  3. charge — a price
  4. object — to protest
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tear — to rip
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spring — of water
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — the season
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — in cards
  16. object — a thing
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spring — a coil
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a committee

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