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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.

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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: band · foot · calf · kick · stem · racket · hide · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a music group
  4. stem — to come from
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. foot — a measure
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lean — to bend
  18. band — a ring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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