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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 124 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. wake — a trail
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — a cup
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitch — completely
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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