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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mug — a cup
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mug — to rob
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mug — a face
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hand — help
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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