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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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 — with a leg
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — for sport
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. rule — a law
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. court — of a king
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. plane — a tool
  21. court — of law
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kick — a thrill

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