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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cap — a lid
  7. band — a music group
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. band — a ring
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. club — for golf
  14. fine — all right
  15. cap — of ice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. club — a group

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