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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. staff — employees
  8. bass — the fish
  9. race — a contest
  10. hand — help
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — low music
  16. object — an aim
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. object — a thing
  21. race — humankind
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hand — in cards
  24. 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