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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rash — hasty
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rash — a series
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — the season
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spell — magic
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. bound — tied together
  22. object — a thing
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rash — on the skin

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