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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: wake · calf · spring · cell · board · kick · suit · lean

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. spring — a coil
  4. suit — to fit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cell — in biology
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — the season
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — to get on
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cell — a phone
  24. suit — clothes

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