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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chest — a box
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pop — soda
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pop — to visit
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. kick — in football
  16. branch — a division
  17. pop — music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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