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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — wild animals
  18. dip — to sink
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. calf — a young 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