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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. tear — to rip
  4. court — for sport
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cap — a lid
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cap — of ice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — from crying
  24. court — of law

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