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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. game — a match
  14. kick — in football
  15. craft — boats
  16. tube — a container
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. suit — clothes
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rock — a stone
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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