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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. object — an aim
  4. ground — the earth
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — in a road
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. object — to protest
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. tear — to rip

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