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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: calf · foot · bear · lie · saw · club · hide · kick

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. foot — a measure
  5. club — a group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — in football
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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