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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cell — a phone
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. game — a match
  16. wake — a trail
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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