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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rash — a series
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bound — tied together
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. hide — to keep secret

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