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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fall — the season
  3. kick — in football
  4. date — the fruit
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. band — a music group
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fall — to drop
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. band — a ring

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