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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spell — letters
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. spell — magic
  6. fork — in a road
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. kid — child
  10. club — for golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — to protest
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spell — a short time
  20. suit — to fit
  21. object — a thing
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. suit — in cards

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