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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. row — to paddle
  10. tear — from crying
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. board — to get on
  13. row — a line
  14. roll — a list
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. scale — in music
  19. object — a thing
  20. tear — to rip
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a committee

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