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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. hand — help
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. last — to go on
  17. can — to be able to
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. lean — to bend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bear — the 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