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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — an aim
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rash — hasty
  8. object — a thing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rash — a series
  13. hand — help
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. nail — for a hammer

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