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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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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. clip — to cut
  5. deal — to handle
  6. clip — a video
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. shower — to wash
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. object — to protest
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. object — a thing
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. shower — rain
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. plane — a tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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