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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. foot — a measure
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. snap — to click
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bound — tied together
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bound — certain
  24. cabinet — ministers

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