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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cold — not warm
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bank — of a river
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — a measure
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bank — for money

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