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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — magic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. capital — a city
  17. spell — a short time
  18. capital — money
  19. spell — letters
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. racket — a loud noise

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