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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 116 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: land · mouse · sharp · bound · calf · court · lean · kick

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. court — of a king
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kick — in football
  16. lean — thin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. land — ground
  20. bound — certain
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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