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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. firm — steady
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — after costs
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lean — to bend
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. net — for catching
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fork — to eat with

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