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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rest — a break
  3. firm — decided
  4. object — to protest
  5. firm — a company
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mine — for digging
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. object — an aim
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — a thing
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. firm — steady

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