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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kick — in football
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. sharp — clever
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. can — a tin
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. swing — music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. snap — to click
  15. net — in sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pass — a permit
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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