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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. scale — in music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. present — there
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. present — the time now
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mate — to breed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. scale — size or range
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. season — in sport
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. season — of the year
  23. present — a gift
  24. wave — of the sea

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