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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · fine · firm · kick · object · bat · rash · mate

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. object — an aim
  4. rash — a series
  5. object — a thing
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mate — a friend
  8. firm — a company
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — in football
  14. firm — steady
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — to protest
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. firm — decided
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bat — in an idiom

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