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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. staff — a stick
  3. field — a subject
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. field — for sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — farmland
  16. ground — a position
  17. object — a thing
  18. rest — a break
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — to protest
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — to cool the air

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