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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. game — a match

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