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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pop — music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — a measure
  10. toast — bread
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tear — from crying
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — in football
  24. toast — the most admired

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