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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — the month
  3. ground — a position
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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