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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 124 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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. object — an aim
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chest — a box
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. object — a thing
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — bread
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chest — of your body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ruler — a monarch

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