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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. last — final
  6. present — the time now
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. present — there
  12. last — finally
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — in control
  15. last — to go on
  16. kick — in football
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. staff — a stick
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. charge — a price
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lash — an eyelash

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