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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hand — help
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. chair — a leader
  10. drill — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — in cards
  14. drill — army training
  15. fine — all right
  16. prune — to trim
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. hand — part of the body

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