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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · pitcher · foot · kick · fall · sharp · chest · mug

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kick — in football
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fall — the season
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chest — a box
  24. sharp — clever

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