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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. face — to point toward
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. object — an aim
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. face — to confront
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kick — in football
  19. branch — a division
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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