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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 120 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: pass · foot · pound · calf · wind · kick

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pass — a permit
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wind — to turn a key

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