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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bank — for money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to click
  14. kick — in football
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bank — of a river
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chest — a box
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chest — of your 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