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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — there
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ground — crushed
  7. present — the time now
  8. mug — a face
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mug — a cup
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mug — to rob
  16. present — a gift
  17. ground — a position
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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