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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cold — an illness
  7. suit — to fit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. net — after costs
  18. rash — a series
  19. cold — not warm
  20. net — in sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. suit — in cards

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