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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. game — a match
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — in music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. object — an aim
  14. lean — thin
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rule — a law
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — government
  24. game — wild animals

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