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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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. rule — to rule out
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spell — a short time
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — magic
  11. spring — of water
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spell — letters
  14. spring — a coil
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. object — to protest
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rule — government
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rule — a law

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