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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: calf · scale · sharp · mine · bark · hand · rush · kick

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kick — in football
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. scale — in music
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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