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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — low music
  8. capital — a city
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mug — a face
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mug — a cup
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. capital — money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kick — in football
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mug — to rob

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