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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. content — the amount
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. shower — rain
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — an aim
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. object — to protest
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pit — a hole
  18. shower — to wash
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rush — a thrill

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