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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. clip — to cut
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. object — a thing
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. firm — steady
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. clip — for paper
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — a video
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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