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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. pop — to visit
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. staff — a stick
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pop — music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pop — soda
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — what's left
  21. face — to confront
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rest — a break

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