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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a line
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rock — a stone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — a face
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mug — a cup
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — the time now
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. present — there
  24. mine — for digging

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