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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. object — to protest
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — an aim
  5. net — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — letters
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — the fruit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spell — magic
  18. net — after costs
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. object — a thing
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — of the leg

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