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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spell — letters
  3. object — to protest
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. firm — decided
  13. rash — a series
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. firm — a company
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — magic
  23. object — an aim
  24. firm — steady

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