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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cap — a hat
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — final
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ball — a great time
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cap — of ice
  16. dip — to sink
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. last — to go on
  21. charge — in control
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ball — a dance
  24. arm — part of the body

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