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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spell — letters
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. spell — magic
  6. cell — a phone
  7. drill — a practice
  8. object — an aim
  9. drill — army training
  10. cell — in biology
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. object — to protest
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chair — a leader
  20. land — to come down
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. foot — part of the body

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