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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. club — a group
  4. shower — to wash
  5. object — a thing
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. club — for golf
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rush — hurry
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. object — to protest
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. object — an aim
  16. present — the time now
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. present — there
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. present — a gift

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