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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — help
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — to wash
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. shower — rain
  24. stock — goods

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