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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. shower — to wash
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — an aim
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — a series
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. track — a path
  20. shower — rain
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kick — in football
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — to hit hard

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