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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — a face
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hand — help
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. row — a line
  11. season — in sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. last — finally
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — of the year
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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