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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. net — in sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mate — to breed
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — a price
  13. mate — a friend
  14. net — after costs
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. charge — in control
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rest — a break
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. net — for catching
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — to roll

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