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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. net — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — child
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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