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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mug — a cup
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ground — the earth
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kick — in football
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. season — in sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. ground — a position

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