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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. kick — in football
  2. tube — a container
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pitch — completely
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. court — of a king
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. court — of law
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. snap — to click
  22. court — for sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  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