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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: roll · lash · kick · tube · arm · fall · calf · net

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — the season
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — in sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — the underground
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. net — after costs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — for catching

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