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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. last — finally
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a great time
  15. last — to go on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. last — final

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