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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a face
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. season — of the year
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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