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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fork — in a road
  13. tear — to rip
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fork — to eat with

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