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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to click
  5. degree — an amount
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — in football
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. nail — on a finger

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