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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. season — of the year
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kick — in football
  5. cap — of ice
  6. field — farmland
  7. cap — a lid
  8. field — a subject
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. field — for sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — magic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. board — a committee
  22. cap — a hat
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spell — a short time

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