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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — to protest
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. mark — a grade
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — an aim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — of a river
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lean — to rest against

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