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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lean — to bend
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fine — high quality
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fine — all right
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. scale — in music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. game — a match
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. object — to protest
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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