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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. object — an aim
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. land — ground
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kick — in football

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