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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. march — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. arm — a part of something

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