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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — for paper
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. clip — a video
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. clip — to cut
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. sharp — exactly

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