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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bass — low music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. root — of a word
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. root — of a plant
  13. object — an aim
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. firm — a company
  18. plane — a tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. firm — decided
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — the fish
  24. root — the cause

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