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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. object — an aim
  7. rock — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. chip — for betting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fall — the season
  23. object — to protest
  24. cold — an illness

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