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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rest — what's left
  4. club — a group
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kick — in football
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — for golf
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — a break

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