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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: object · saw · rest · calf · cabinet · mine · pitcher · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — a thing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. object — to protest
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — a break
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. roll — a list
  24. cabinet — ministers

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