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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — a position
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. cell — a phone
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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