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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — in football
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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