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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. court — for sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. court — of law
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. kick — in football
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fine — high quality
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. court — of a king
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — dry grass

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