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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — for catching
  4. capital — money
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pit — in a race
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — thin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. capital — a city
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. calf — a young animal

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