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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a dance
  5. march — the month
  6. wake — a trail
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bear — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rash — on the skin
  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