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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. object — to protest
  10. suit — clothes
  11. field — for sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — letters
  19. object — an aim
  20. spell — a short time
  21. field — a subject
  22. suit — in cards
  23. row — to paddle
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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