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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. race — a contest
  14. net — for catching
  15. race — the arms race
  16. squash — to crush
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. can — to be able to
  20. race — humankind
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. arm — part of the body

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