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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. last — finally
  4. field — for sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. last — to go on
  11. firm — a company
  12. field — a subject
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. last — final
  19. face — to point toward
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. field — farmland
  22. firm — steady
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. firm — decided

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