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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — final
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stock — shares
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stock — goods
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — all right
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. calf — a young animal

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