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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — in music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ball — a great time
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pop — to visit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. pop — soda

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