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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — thin
  4. object — to protest
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. band — a ring
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — in control
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bark — to shout
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. object — a thing
  19. charge — a price
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. suit — clothes
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. bark — of a tree

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