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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a match
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — bread
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — a path
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. track — a song
  23. date — the fruit
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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