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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. season — of the year
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ground — crushed
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cell — a phone
  14. tear — to rip
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ground — the earth

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