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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mate — to breed
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cold — not warm
  20. suit — to fit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pop — soda
  24. cold — an illness

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