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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — ground
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. race — humankind
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. toast — bread
  15. fall — the season
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. race — a contest
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fall — to drop

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