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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — in sport
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — of ice
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kick — in football
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. cap — a hat
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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