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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 120 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. swing — in golf
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — in football
  23. squash — to crush
  24. degree — an amount

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