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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rash — a series
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — in music
  22. kick — in football
  23. rash — hasty
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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