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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. craft — a skill
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. craft — boats
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — in football
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — for catching
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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