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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. kick — in football
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ball — a great time
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a trace
  13. craft — boats
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — with a 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