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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. last — finally
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitch — completely
  14. last — final
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rash — a series
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — to visit
  21. kid — child
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. last — to go on
  24. rash — hasty

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