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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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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: jam · last · calf · deal · pit · kick · plane · wound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. last — to go on
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — an injury
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wound — an injury
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. last — final
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. kick — with a 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