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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. land — ground
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — to come down
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mark — a trace
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kick — in football
  17. can — to be able to
  18. land — a country
  19. snap — to click
  20. hand — help
  21. rush — hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — to hurry

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