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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — to protest
  4. hand — in cards
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — a series
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. tube — a container
  13. object — a thing
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tube — the underground
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hand — help
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. nail — for a hammer

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