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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. land — to come down
  5. object — to protest
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. land — a country
  9. ball — a great time
  10. land — ground
  11. prune — to trim
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. track — a song
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. track — to keep track
  21. object — a thing
  22. date — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — a path

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