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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cell — in biology
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. tube — the underground
  23. scale — in music
  24. rest — a break

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