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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. toast — bread
  3. kick — in football
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — boats
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. march — music
  13. craft — a skill
  14. net — after costs
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. march — the month
  17. snap — to click
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. net — in sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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