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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: kick · squash · calf · chair · present · stick · snap · band

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. present — there
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — in football
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a ring
  18. squash — the sport
  19. present — the time now
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. squash — to crush
  22. snap — to click
  23. present — a gift
  24. chair — a professorship

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