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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — help
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. firm — a company
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. firm — steady
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bat — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. firm — decided
  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