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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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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: foot · net · ball · rush · kick · wound · rule · calf

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — government
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rush — hurry
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. net — in sport
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. calf — of the leg

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