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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. charge — a price
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cold — not warm
  8. charge — in control
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bore — to tire
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bore — to drill
  24. plane — a tool

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