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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ball — a dance
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — rain
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. suit — to fit
  20. staff — employees
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. calf — a young animal

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