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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. season — in sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. season — of the year
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. net — after costs
  11. lean — thin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. net — in sport
  14. kick — in football
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — for catching
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stock — shares
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mate — a friend

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