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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a friend
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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