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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — for dancing
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — the tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. lean — thin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. object — to protest
  13. drill — a practice
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — army training
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. club — a group
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. dip — to sink
  24. craft — a skill

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