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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — a face
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. suit — clothes
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. suit — in cards
  17. object — to protest
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — a thing
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — belonging to me

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