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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. kick — in football
  6. net — after costs
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. race — humankind
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. deal — to handle
  16. band — a music group
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. race — a contest
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. net — in sport

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