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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bound — certain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. net — after costs
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — for catching
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. net — in sport

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