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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ball — a dance
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. snap — to click
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chair — a leader
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. charge — in control
  21. mug — a face
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cap — a lid

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