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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.

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: calf · mate · wound · mug · hide · scale · fork · mine

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wound — an injury
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mate — a partner
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mug — a cup
  22. scale — in music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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