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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bank — of a river
  9. content — the amount
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. content — happy
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. sharp — clever
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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