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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · wound · spring · mouse · last · suit · object · rock

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ground — a position
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rock — music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. object — to protest
  12. spring — of water
  13. wound — an injury
  14. last — final
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ground — crushed
  17. object — an aim
  18. last — finally
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spring — the season
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rock — a stone

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