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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: lean · mine · dip · mate · foot · kid · club · calf

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. club — for dancing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lean — thin
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — a group
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lean — to bend
  17. dip — to sink
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. club — for golf
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kid — child

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