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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lean — to bend
  18. swing — in golf
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. swing — music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lean — thin

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