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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spell — magic
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. object — a thing
  5. club — a group
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. squash — to crush
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. object — to protest
  17. spell — letters
  18. staff — a stick
  19. object — an aim
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lean — thin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tube — the underground
  24. club — for golf

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