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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. file — a line of people
  4. object — an aim
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. clip — for paper
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — to sink
  12. clip — to cut
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. foot — a measure
  21. clip — a video
  22. file — a tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — part of the body

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