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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · calf · ball · game · mate · chest · prune · sharp

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. game — a match
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chest — a box
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a dance
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mate — a friend
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — a partner
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. sharp — clever

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