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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lie — an untruth

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