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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. season — of the year
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. season — in sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. kick — in football
  24. safe — out of danger

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