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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. drill — army training
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. drill — a practice
  20. march — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bass — low music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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