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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — to protest
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fall — the season
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. object — an aim
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — a trainer

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