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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rush — hurry
  5. object — to protest
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. row — a line
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bass — the fish
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fine — all right
  20. game — a match
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — wild animals

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