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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kick — in football
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitch — completely
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. net — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wound — an injury

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