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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. kick — in football
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bat — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. charge — a price
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — of the year
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. charge — in control
  23. season — in sport
  24. cue — a hint

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