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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: rush · object · pit · cold · firm · track · bear · lash

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — a path
  3. object — an aim
  4. firm — a company
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. firm — decided
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. track — a song
  13. object — to protest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. firm — steady
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pit — a hole

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