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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: game · kick · toast · snap · mate · key · calf · trunk

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. key — for a lock
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. key — in music
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. key — the most important part
  9. toast — bread
  10. kick — in football
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. game — wild animals
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mate — to breed
  18. game — a match
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mate — a friend

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