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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. kick — in football
  4. pass — a permit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. last — finally
  7. pop — soda
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pop — to visit
  11. firm — decided
  12. last — final
  13. firm — steady
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. last — to go on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — music
  24. pass — to succeed

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