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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. band — a ring
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. foot — a measure
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. roll — a list
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cold — not warm

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