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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. kick — in football
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. firm — decided
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. firm — a company
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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