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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. snap — to click
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — in football
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rash — a series
  24. kick — a thrill

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