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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pit — a hole
  3. row — to paddle
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. band — a music group
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pit — in a race
  17. object — to protest
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mark — a trace
  20. row — a line
  21. object — an aim
  22. present — a gift
  23. tear — from crying
  24. band — a ring

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