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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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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: straw · toast · swing · calf · mouse · kick · land · mug

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. swing — music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mug — to rob
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mug — a face
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. toast — bread
  23. swing — in golf
  24. straw — dry grass

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