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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — clever
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wound — an injury
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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