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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: game · tube · calf · kick · mug · season · rock · straw

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rock — music
  7. kick — in football
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. season — of the year
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mug — to rob
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. season — in sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mug — a cup

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