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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. present — a gift
  15. rash — a series
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mug — a cup
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — crushed
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. present — there
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — to rob

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