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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. object — an aim
  3. court — of law
  4. kid — child
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. kid — to tease
  12. court — of a king
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. court — for sport
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. object — a thing
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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