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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fine — high quality
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fine — all right
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rule — government
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stem — to come from

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