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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bark — to shout
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — moving air
  24. dip — a sauce

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