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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 124 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. object — a thing
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. object — to protest
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. object — an aim
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. scale — in music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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