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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — a container
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — an aim
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. object — a thing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. scale — in music
  24. mark — a trace

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