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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lean — thin
  19. rest — a break
  20. object — to protest
  21. lean — to bend
  22. charge — a price
  23. rest — what's left
  24. charge — in control

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