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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rest — a break
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kick — in football
  18. ground — a position
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — 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