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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rest — a break
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ball — a dance
  11. object — a thing
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — an aim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to bend
  19. object — to protest
  20. lean — thin
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rush — hurry

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