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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. last — finally
  7. object — a thing
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. last — final
  12. pass — a permit
  13. last — to go on
  14. object — an aim
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — a country
  24. pound — a weight

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