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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. last — finally
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. last — final
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. squash — to crush
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — a supporter

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