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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stand — to bear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — a grade
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. calf — of the leg

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