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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rash — hasty
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. object — to protest
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. object — a thing
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rash — a series
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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