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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. object — a thing
  10. season — in sport
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. craft — boats
  14. rash — a series
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. object — an aim
  20. craft — a skill
  21. season — of the year
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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