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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — to rob
  5. track — a song
  6. object — a thing
  7. mug — a face
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. track — a path
  11. lean — thin
  12. object — to protest
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pit — in a race
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — a hole
  23. capital — money
  24. face — part of the head

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