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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — a grade
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a trace
  14. drill — army training
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. row — to paddle
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fan — a supporter
  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