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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. court — for sport
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chest — a box
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kick — in football
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mouse — the animal

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