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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — army training
  5. spell — letters
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spell — a short time
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. drill — the tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. drill — a practice
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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