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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: sharp · wound · calf · bound · rest · season · bay · kick

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rest — a break
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. season — of the year
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kick — in football
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. season — in sport

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