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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: ball · kick · bat · band · fall · lean · calf · rest

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. band — a ring
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rest — what's left
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — a break
  16. kick — in football
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fall — the season
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bat — the animal
  24. ball — a dance

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