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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bark — to shout
  4. tube — a container
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a hole
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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