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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. staff — employees
  3. rash — hasty
  4. object — an aim
  5. last — final
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — finally
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. object — a thing
  16. pop — soda
  17. last — to go on
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rash — a series

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