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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rest — a break
  3. foot — a measure
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. kick — in football
  11. rest — what's left
  12. scale — in music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. net — in sport
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. net — for catching
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. shower — rain
  22. net — after costs
  23. foot — the bottom
  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