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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ground — crushed
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. drill — army training
  16. ground — a position
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spring — a coil
  19. charge — in control
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. object — to protest
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wind — moving air
  24. charge — a price

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