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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mug — a face
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mug — a cup
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lean — to bend
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — a stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — thin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lean — to rest against

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