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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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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — a thing
  3. suit — clothes
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rush — to hurry

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