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

Word bank: calf · deal · tear · foot · cold · fine · saw · object

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cold — not warm
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. object — a thing
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. cold — an illness
  19. tear — to rip
  20. foot — a measure
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fine — high quality
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fine — a penalty

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