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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: racket · kick · lie · trunk · bear · temple · wound · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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