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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cap — of ice
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rest — a break
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rest — what's left

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