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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pound — a weight
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. craft — boats
  12. charge — a price
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fine — all right
  15. can — a tin
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. charge — in control
  19. sharp — clever
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. craft — a skill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. charge — electricity

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