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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. field — for sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mark — a trace
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — a weight
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — thin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — to protest
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. object — an aim
  24. lash — an eyelash

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