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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: calf · foot · stick · hide · bound · kick · mate · fine

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a friend
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kick — in football
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — tied together
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bound — certain

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