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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. drill — army training
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. drill — a practice
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. staff — a stick
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. coach — a trainer

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