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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — to handle
  3. last — to go on
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — final
  7. foot — a measure
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. last — finally
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. shower — rain
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — a series
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rash — on the skin

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