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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fine — all right
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. kick — in football
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mug — to rob
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — a company

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