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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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468
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cue — a hint
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cue — for pool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cue — a signal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. kick — with a leg

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