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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. perch — the fish
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mug — a face
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rule — a law
  15. object — an aim
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chest — a box
  18. object — to protest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rule — government
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to click

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