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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — to protest
  6. pitch — completely
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to confront
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. object — an aim
  19. shower — rain
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. face — to point toward
  24. object — a thing

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