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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — shares
  7. swing — music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. object — to protest
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. tube — a container
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — the underground
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — goods
  20. object — a thing
  21. snap — to click
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — a soup base

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