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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. firm — decided
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. firm — steady
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. capital — money
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bass — the fish
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. object — a thing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. capital — a city
  23. firm — a company
  24. rest — what's left

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