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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · chest · kick · snap · stick · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. snap — to click
  12. kick — in football
  13. chest — of your body
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chest — a box

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