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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. clip — for paper
  3. kick — in football
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kid — child
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — a permit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. clip — a video
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kid — to tease
  24. sharp — exactly

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