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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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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rash — a series
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. charge — a price
  5. lean — thin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to bend
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. charge — in control
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — electricity
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — low music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. calf — a young animal

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