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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lie — an untruth

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