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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bass — the fish
  8. charge — a price
  9. bass — low music
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — electricity
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — to tease

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