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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ball — a dance
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mine — belonging to me

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