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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. squash — to crush
  7. present — a gift
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. squash — the sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. present — there
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — of the sea

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