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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — to protest
  8. rock — a stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — an aim
  19. rock — music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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