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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — a thing
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. kick — in football
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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