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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. field — farmland
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — a stone
  15. field — a subject
  16. rest — a break
  17. rock — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. field — for sport
  20. firm — steady
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. firm — decided

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