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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. object — a thing
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — help
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. object — an aim
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. object — to protest
  14. kick — in football
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. calf — of the leg

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