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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — bread
  6. cap — a lid
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cap — a hat
  24. march — the month

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