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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. season — in sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — a practice
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. drill — the tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. drill — army training
  12. season — of the year
  13. scale — in music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. squash — the sport
  24. dip — a sauce

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