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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. object — a thing
  3. present — the time now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. object — to protest
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spell — magic
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ground — the earth
  15. object — an aim
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. clip — a video
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spell — letters
  20. present — a gift
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. clip — for paper

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