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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. track — a song
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. track — a path
  14. cue — a hint
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bore — to tire
  20. object — a thing
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cue — a signal

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