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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — a division
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — a safe
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wake — a trail
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. object — to protest
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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