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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cell — in biology
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. object — a thing
  7. stand — to bear
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — thin
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — hasty
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rash — a series
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cell — a phone
  21. object — to protest
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — 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