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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. track — a song
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. track — a path
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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