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

Word bank: drill · object · mark · chest · lean · ground · firm · mine

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. drill — army training
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mark — a trace
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — an aim
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chest — a box
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. chest — of your body
  19. firm — steady
  20. object — to protest
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lean — to rest against

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