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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. suit — in cards
  5. land — ground
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. season — of the year
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. suit — clothes
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. suit — to fit
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. sharp — clever
  20. track — a path
  21. season — in sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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