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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rest — a break
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — in a road
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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