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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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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: ground · dip · kid · mouse · calf · bowl · wound · chest

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ground — the earth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. chest — a box
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — of the leg

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