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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mate — a partner
  21. net — after costs
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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