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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: deal · fall · cue · kick · calf · saw · ground · mine

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mine — for digging
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — a signal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ground — a position
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kick — in football

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