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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hand — help
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. race — humankind
  7. object — a thing
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. object — to protest
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hand — in cards
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. staff — employees
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. object — an aim
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. pop — soda
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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