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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. suit — clothes
  8. board — a committee
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tear — from crying
  11. object — to protest
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — to sink
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chest — a box
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — of your body
  21. board — to get on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tear — to rip

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