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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rule — a law
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rule — government
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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