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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mug — a face
  5. season — in sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cell — in biology
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. object — a thing
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — an aim
  23. suit — to fit
  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