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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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 — to protest
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rush — hurry
  4. object — a thing
  5. toast — bread
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. capital — a city
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — low music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. capital — money
  20. bark — to shout
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rest — a break
  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