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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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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me

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