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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a great time
  7. charge — electricity
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. march — music

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