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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. snap — to click
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — steady
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. game — wild animals
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. firm — a company
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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