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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. object — a thing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fall — the season
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. roll — a list
  16. object — to protest
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. face — to point toward
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — to confront
  24. wind — moving air

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