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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hand — in cards
  6. land — a country
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a dance
  12. clip — a video
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — to come down
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. clip — to cut
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. land — ground
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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