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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mate — a partner
  5. hand — in cards
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. object — to protest
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — help
  11. object — a thing
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mate — to breed
  14. object — an aim
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bat — the 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