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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. kick — in football
  6. wound — an injury
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pop — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pop — soda
  15. cue — a signal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cue — a hint
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — there
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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