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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. net — for catching
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. key — in music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. key — the most important part
  15. net — in sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. net — after costs
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chair — a leader

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