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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.

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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — in cards
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. hand — help
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. branch — a division
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. calf — a young animal

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