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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.

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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: calf · capital · game · kick · squash · foot · shower · suit

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. game — a match
  6. capital — money
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. shower — to wash
  16. game — wild animals
  17. squash — to crush
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — to fit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. foot — a measure
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a city

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