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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pound — a weight
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stem — to come from
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. calf — of the leg

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