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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — final
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. present — there
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. present — a gift
  20. object — a thing
  21. present — the time now
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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