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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.

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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: calf · fine · sharp · chest · leaves · mine · tear · deal

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mine — for digging
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tear — to rip
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — all right
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — a young animal

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