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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 120 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a cup
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — a box
  9. kick — in football
  10. mug — to rob
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. bound — certain
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mug — a face
  18. net — in sport
  19. chest — of your body
  20. net — after costs
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bound — obliged

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