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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. shower — to wash
  7. object — an aim
  8. pop — soda
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — a coil
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — the season
  14. object — a thing
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — of water
  17. shower — rain
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — steady
  20. capital — a city
  21. pop — music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pop — to visit

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