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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
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 · clip · fine · bowl · toast · firm · wound · mine

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. firm — decided
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mine — for digging
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. clip — a video
  19. toast — bread
  20. firm — a company
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mine — belonging to me

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