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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — to protest
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — for digging
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. object — a thing
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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