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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mate — a partner
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fork — to eat with

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