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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: game · calf · kick · cap · pound · object · plane · tube

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. object — to protest
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — a container
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kick — in football
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. object — a thing
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. object — an aim
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. plane — an aircraft

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