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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. clip — for paper
  3. tear — from crying
  4. clip — to cut
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. clip — a video
  15. vault — a safe
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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