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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. season — of the year
  7. march — music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chest — of your body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. march — the month
  12. chest — a box
  13. saw — the tool
  14. march — the month
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. saw — the tool

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