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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: cold · calf · squash · leaves · wound · fan · pit · mug

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mug — a face
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a hole
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mug — a cup
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pit — in a race
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. squash — to crush
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fan — a supporter

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