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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ground — crushed
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. firm — steady
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — to protest
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. object — a thing
  24. firm — decided

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