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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lean — to bend
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bound — certain
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — temperature
  11. object — to protest
  12. lean — thin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — tied together
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. degree — an amount
  20. object — an aim
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. hide — to keep secret

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