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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — a gift
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — there
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cold — an illness
  15. lean — thin
  16. present — the time now
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cold — not warm
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — to bend

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