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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mug — to rob
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mug — a face
  5. ball — a great time
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mark — a grade
  11. land — ground
  12. mug — a cup
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. mark — a trace
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. land — a country
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. coach — a trainer

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