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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mug — a cup
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mug — a face
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fine — all right
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. game — wild animals
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. game — a match
  16. face — to confront
  17. land — a country
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. land — to come down
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. suit — in cards
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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