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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. race — a contest
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. can — to be able to
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — the fish
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. race — humankind
  15. kick — in football
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. perch — for a bird

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