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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 116 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a path
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fine — all right
  12. pop — to visit
  13. game — a match
  14. lie — to recline
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — soda
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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