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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — low music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chair — a leader
  12. board — to get on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. object — an aim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — a container
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — a committee
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tube — the underground

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