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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mate — a friend
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. clip — a video
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. band — a music group
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. scale — in music
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — in football
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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