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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. toast — bread
  3. ball — a great time
  4. object — to protest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — to fit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. wind — moving air

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