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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rock — music
  5. rest — a break
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rock — a stone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — completely
  12. track — a path
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. kick — in football
  24. bark — of a tree

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