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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — hurry
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. staff — a stick
  9. row — a line
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. net — after costs
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bear — the animal

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