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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · fall · calf · chair · mouse · kick · pop · season

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mine — for digging
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — soda
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pop — to visit
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chair — a leader

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