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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. object — to protest
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — a series
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. object — a thing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. clip — a video
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cap — a lid
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rash — hasty
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cap — a hat
  22. object — an aim
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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