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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — clever
  6. face — to point toward
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. kid — child
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. shower — to wash
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kid — to tease
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — rain
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. arm — part of the body

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