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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. clip — for paper
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rule — a law
  5. kick — in football
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rule — government
  8. lean — thin
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — a break
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lean — to bend
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rest — what's left

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