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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mug — to rob
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. object — an aim
  11. stock — shares
  12. mug — a face
  13. tube — the underground
  14. object — a thing
  15. stock — goods
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. mug — a cup

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