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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — to protest
  3. track — a song
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — an aim
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. squash — the sport
  11. track — a path
  12. object — a thing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — of water
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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