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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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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: calf · kick · rest · object · saw · band · lean · leaves

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kick — in football
  5. object — to protest
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — thin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. object — a thing

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