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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fine — high quality
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hand — help
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — all right
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — exactly

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