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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mate — a friend
  15. swing — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. swing — in golf

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