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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. present — the time now
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. foot — a measure
  5. dip — to sink
  6. firm — decided
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. firm — a company
  11. present — a gift
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. present — there
  16. field — a subject
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. firm — steady
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. field — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — part of the body

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