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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — music
  3. object — to protest
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — to recline
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — a measure
  19. race — the arms race
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — happy
  23. object — a thing
  24. race — a contest

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