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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. land — ground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. rash — hasty
  7. band — a ring
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kick — in football
  10. band — a music group
  11. land — to come down
  12. club — for golf
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. land — a country
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fine — all right

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