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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mark — a grade
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to sink
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mark — a trace
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — a thing
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fall — the season
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — certain
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. calf — of the 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