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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — of the year
  10. row — to paddle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. season — in sport
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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