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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kick — in football
  6. rest — a break
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — a series
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. spell — magic
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rash — on the skin

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