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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ground — the earth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — soda
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ground — crushed

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