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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wind — moving air
  20. row — to paddle
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — a line
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mouse — the animal

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