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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. game — a match
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. object — an aim
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. object — to protest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kick — in football
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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