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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. field — a subject
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. roll — a list
  12. field — for sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lean — thin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. field — farmland

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