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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. land — ground
  11. kick — in football
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. charge — in control
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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