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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. net — in sport
  4. hand — in cards
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. object — an aim
  18. rush — hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. trunk — of a car

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