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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ground — the earth
  3. last — to go on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. last — finally
  12. toast — bread
  13. wound — an injury
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. last — final
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — a position
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. dip — to sink
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. staff — a stick

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