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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ball — a dance
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rule — government
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — in football
  11. bound — certain
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rule — a law
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bound — tied together
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spell — magic
  24. cap — of ice

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