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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mug — a face
  6. kick — in football
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kid — to tease
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rush — hurry
  16. toast — bread
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. kid — child
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mug — a cup
  22. shower — rain
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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