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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bound — certain
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. squash — the sport
  11. face — to confront
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hand — help
  14. kick — in football
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — for catching
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hand — in cards
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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