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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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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: rush · wave · calf · nail · hand · kick · mouse · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rush — hurry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — child
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. wave — with your hand

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