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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. craft — boats
  4. object — to protest
  5. deal — to handle
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. craft — a skill
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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