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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. object — to protest
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. firm — a company
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wake — a trail
  10. firm — steady
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bark — to shout
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. object — an aim
  16. firm — decided
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. kick — in football
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — a thing

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