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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. field — for sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — an aim
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — a subject
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. field — farmland
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. object — to protest
  20. tear — to rip
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fork — to eat with

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