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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — to fit
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. suit — clothes
  7. court — of law
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. suit — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — a trail
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rash — a series
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. rash — hasty
  20. court — of a king
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. court — for sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hide — to keep secret

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