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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. tube — the underground
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. march — music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. calf — a young animal
  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