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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — a break
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — a container
  17. deal — to handle
  18. snap — to click
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bat — the animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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