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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lean — thin
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. object — to protest
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bass — low music
  16. drill — army training
  17. kick — in football
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hand — help
  20. current — electric
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. current — happening now
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — an aim

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