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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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Word bank
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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. row — a line
  3. present — a gift
  4. game — a match
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — a thing
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. staff — employees
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. pass — a permit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. game — wild animals

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