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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cold — an illness
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — a price
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a great time

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