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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. present — a gift
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — there
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. land — to come down
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. present — the time now
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — ground
  20. season — of the year
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — a country

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