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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — magic
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. spell — a short time
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bear — to put up with

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