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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. foot — a measure
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fine — all right
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lean — thin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hand — help
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — a weight

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