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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: race · pound · mouse · calf · hide · charge · kick · snap

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — humankind
  7. charge — a price
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to click
  15. kick — in football
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. charge — in control
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. mouse — for a computer

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