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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. drill — army training
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. sharp — clever
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitcher — a jug

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