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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. lean — to bend
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pit — a hole
  11. squash — the sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — thin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — soda
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. band — a ring
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pop — music

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