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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. kid — to tease
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — to breed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — child
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rush — a thrill

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