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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: toast · kick · rock · calf · hide · bat · mark · net

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. net — after costs
  5. toast — bread
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. net — for catching
  13. rock — music
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mark — a grade
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — in sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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