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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — size or range
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stock — shares
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — in music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stock — goods
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lean — thin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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