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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — help
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. object — an aim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — all right
  18. suit — clothes
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bass — low music

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