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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stand — to bear
  6. object — a thing
  7. root — of a word
  8. wind — moving air
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wind — moving air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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