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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — a hat
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kid — child
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — a face
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fall — the season
  20. mug — a cup
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. calf — of the leg

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