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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — a committee
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stock — shares
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lean — thin
  16. foot — a measure
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stock — goods
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. hand — help
  24. foot — part of the body

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