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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rush — hurry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kick — in football
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — in cards
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — to come down
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — a country
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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