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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. season — of the year
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fall — the season
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. season — in sport
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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