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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. object — a thing
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. deal — to handle
  14. object — to protest
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — in a road
  24. game — wild animals

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