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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. dip — to sink
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a ring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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