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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. last — finally
  5. march — the month
  6. object — a thing
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. track — a song
  10. last — final
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. object — to protest
  14. track — to keep track
  15. march — music
  16. firm — decided
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. bat — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. track — a path

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