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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — in music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — rain
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. row — a line
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. key — the most important part
  24. row — to paddle

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