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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. board — a committee
  3. object — an aim
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fine — all right
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — in cards
  8. staff — a stick
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. object — to protest
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hand — help
  23. lean — thin
  24. hand — part of the body

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