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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — a permit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cell — in biology
  8. club — a group
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cell — a phone
  15. club — for golf
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lean — thin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. game — a match
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cell — in a prison

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