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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. march — music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pop — music
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lean — thin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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