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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mug — a face
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bound — certain
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. toast — bread
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bark — to shout
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bark — of a tree

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