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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ball — a dance
  3. last — final
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — finally
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ground — a position
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. dip — to sink
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. staff — employees
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — to go on
  21. spell — letters
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. spell — magic

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