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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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. object — to protest
  4. net — in sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fine — all right
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. net — after costs

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