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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — for dancing
  3. shower — to wash
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bound — obliged
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — to protest
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — finally
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bound — certain
  15. shower — rain
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — a group
  20. bound — tied together
  21. last — to go on
  22. club — for golf
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. last — final

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