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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 120 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: straw · court · mug · wound · pit · calf · kick · face

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wound — an injury
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. face — part of the head
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pit — in a race
  9. court — for sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — to rob
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mug — a face
  18. court — of a king
  19. kick — in football
  20. face — to confront
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mug — a cup

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