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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spell — letters
  3. cue — a hint
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. firm — decided
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — a signal
  14. firm — steady
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. kick — in football
  20. firm — a company
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wound — an injury

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