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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 116 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — to recline
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — a hint
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. clip — a video
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. clip — for paper

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