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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. face — to confront
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a song
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. kick — in football
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kick — a thrill

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