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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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468
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rule — a law
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rule — government
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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