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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. track — to keep track
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. season — of the year
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — for pool
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. staff — a stick
  20. track — a path
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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