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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 124 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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468
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — to protest
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rock — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rest — what's left
  14. object — an aim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. object — a thing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — to rip

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