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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pit — a hole
  3. kick — in football
  4. pit — in a race
  5. face — part of the head
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — boats
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. prune — to trim
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — to confront
  21. drill — army training
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — to breed
  24. snap — to click

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