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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tube — a container
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. object — to protest
  14. shower — rain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rock — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — a thing
  24. bear — the animal

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