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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. row — a line
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. row — to paddle
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a lid
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — in football
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — a hat

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