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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — a lid
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. object — to protest
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — after costs
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. game — wild animals
  17. object — a thing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cap — a hat
  20. game — a match
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cap — of ice

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