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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rule — government
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ball — a dance
  12. shower — rain
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. ball — a great time
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — to visit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rule — a law
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. calf — a young animal

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