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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — an aim
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chair — a leader
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. object — to protest
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — to rip

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