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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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. cell — in biology
  4. pop — music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. object — an aim
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spell — a short time
  11. object — to protest
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rule — government
  14. spell — magic
  15. rule — a law
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pop — to visit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pop — soda

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