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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — an aim
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spring — of water
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — hurry
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spring — the season
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. spring — a coil

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