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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — a division
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. net — after costs
  12. press — a publisher
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. net — in sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. arm — a part of something

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