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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bat — the animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. squash — to crush
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kick — in football
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. season — in sport
  22. track — a song
  23. season — of the year
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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