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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rest — a break
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tube — a container
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. kick — in football

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