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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rash — hasty
  3. row — a line
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rest — a break
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. row — to paddle
  24. safe — out of danger

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