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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. toast — bread
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — finally
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — in football
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. last — final
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a dance
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — to be able to

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