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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. kick — in football
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. snap — to click
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rock — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kick — with a leg

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