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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — music
  3. rest — a break
  4. march — the month
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fall — the season
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — what's left

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