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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — thin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wake — a trail
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. drill — the tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. object — an aim
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. tube — a container
  20. drill — army training
  21. object — a thing
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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