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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · deal · field · rash · saw · wound · calf · tube

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. field — for sport
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. rash — a series
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. rash — hasty
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — a container
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. present — there
  24. tube — in a tire

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