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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. object — an aim
  2. field — farmland
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. content — the amount
  9. object — to protest
  10. wind — moving air
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. vault — a safe
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lie — to recline
  15. suit — to fit
  16. content — happy
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. field — a subject
  20. wind — moving air
  21. suit — in cards
  22. field — for sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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