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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — a break
  5. ball — a great time
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — to fit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chest — a box
  11. rest — what's left
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mouse — the 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