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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — a break
  3. file — a tool
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. object — an aim
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — a safe
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a line of people
  14. object — to protest
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. file — a document
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — what's left
  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