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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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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kid — child
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — the fish
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rest — a break
  11. bass — low music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kick — in football
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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