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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. game — a match
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. kick — in football
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — wild animals
  9. season — in sport
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — a city
  15. staff — a stick
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. capital — money
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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