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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. mug — a face
  2. wind — moving air
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. track — a song
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. track — a path
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — to eat
  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