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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a face
  7. last — finally
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. last — to go on
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mug — a cup
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — final
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. kick — in football
  24. cabinet — ministers

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