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

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. object — to protest
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mine — for digging
  7. object — a thing
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. object — an aim
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. calf — a young animal

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