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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. object — a thing
  7. pop — to visit
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kick — in football
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. row — a line
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pop — soda
  18. object — to protest
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lean — to rest against

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