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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — the fish
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lean — thin
  7. field — farmland
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bass — low music
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. field — for sport
  15. file — a line of people
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. file — a tool
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. snap — to click
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lean — to rest against

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