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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — to tease
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mine — for digging
  8. object — a thing
  9. kid — child
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. swing — to play on
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — 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