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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. object — to protest
  3. tube — the underground
  4. object — a thing
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — after costs
  7. object — an aim
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. tear — to rip
  16. net — in sport
  17. mine — for digging
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — from crying
  23. net — for catching
  24. kick — in football

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