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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. game — a match
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chair — a leader
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. kick — in football
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kick — with a leg

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