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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fall — to drop
  11. roll — a list
  12. current — of water
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fall — the season
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — electric
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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