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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: rash · kick · hand · cue · kid · spring · court · calf

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kick — in football
  3. court — of law
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cue — a signal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. court — of a king
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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