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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. object — a thing
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bass — low music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. snap — to click
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. net — after costs
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. object — to protest
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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