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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: lean · calf · court · pass · kick · object · bowl · tube

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. object — to protest
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. object — an aim
  7. court — of law
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pass — a permit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. tube — the underground
  14. object — a thing
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. court — of a king
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. court — for sport
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kick — in football
  24. calf — a young animal

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