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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kick — in football
  4. cell — in biology
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — for golf
  9. cell — a phone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. club — for dancing
  16. sharp — clever
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. club — a group
  24. temple — a place of worship

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