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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bound — tied together
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cap — a lid
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bound — certain
  15. ground — the earth
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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