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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mug — a face
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spell — magic
  14. firm — steady
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kick — in football
  17. cell — a phone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cell — in biology

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