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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — certain
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. object — to protest
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — shares
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — an aim

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