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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. track — a song
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fall — the season
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kick — in football
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. track — a path
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rush — to hurry

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