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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — an aim
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. object — to protest
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. race — a contest
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — final
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pound — a weight
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. race — humankind
  24. pound — to hit hard

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