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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — a hole
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. key — in music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lie — to recline
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — government
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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