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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. object — to protest
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — a permit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. object — a thing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pop — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — in football
  24. pop — to visit

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