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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wound — an injury
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. row — a line

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