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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.

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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. kick — in football
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fall — the season

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