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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. object — a thing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rush — hurry
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fall — the season
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. object — an aim
  24. mine — an explosive

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