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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · perch · ball · kid · calf · dip · face · rash

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — child
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kid — to tease
  11. face — to confront
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — part of the head
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cap — a hat
  22. face — to point toward
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. ball — a great time

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