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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fine — all right
  8. club — a group
  9. object — to protest
  10. clip — to cut
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — a container
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. fine — high quality
  18. object — a thing
  19. clip — a video
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. object — an aim
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. tube — the underground
  24. calf — a young animal

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