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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. net — for catching
  7. kick — in football
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — a city
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. capital — money
  15. net — after costs
  16. mug — a cup
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rest — what's left

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