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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. band — a ring
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. firm — steady
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fine — all right
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — to point toward
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. squash — to crush
  15. object — to protest
  16. band — a music group
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ball — a dance
  23. face — to confront
  24. fine — high quality

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