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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. dip — to sink
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — a path
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. track — a song
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spell — magic
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spell — letters
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. track — to keep track
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kick — in football

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