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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to bend
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lean — thin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — a list
  14. mug — to rob
  15. net — in sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a cup

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