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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mate — to breed
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mate — a partner

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