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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · staff · leaves · calf · kick · racket · pound · mouse

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. racket — a loud noise

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