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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. hand — help
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pass — a permit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pitch — completely
  18. kick — in football
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kick — with a 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