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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 124 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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. present — a gift
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. present — the time now
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — an aim
  20. cell — a phone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. present — there
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lash — an eyelash

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