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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — farmland
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — the month
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. march — the month
  15. field — for sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. march — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. tear — from crying
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — a subject

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