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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. suit — to fit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. suit — clothes
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. suit — in cards
  17. object — to protest
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cell — a phone
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fall — the season

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