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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — a thing
  6. last — finally
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — music
  9. object — an aim
  10. pass — a permit
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. last — final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. object — to protest
  24. pitcher — a jug

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