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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mark — a trace
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mug — a face
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hand — help
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — to rob

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