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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. firm — a company
  5. object — to protest
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hand — help
  14. last — final
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — steady
  17. last — to go on
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mark — a grade
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. can — to be able to
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — a container

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