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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. last — to go on
  3. kick — in football
  4. last — finally
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fine — all right
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. last — final

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