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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — to protest
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fine — high quality
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — an aim
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. object — a thing
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. track — a song
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — a path
  24. scale — in music

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