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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rash — a series
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — an aim
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — to protest
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cue — a signal
  24. suit — in cards

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