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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — a thing
  4. march — the month
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lie — to recline
  19. squash — the sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — on a finger

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