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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. hand — in cards
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hand — help
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. branch — of a bank

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