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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. club — a group
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — for golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — there
  13. bound — tied together
  14. present — the time now
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. present — a gift
  18. snap — to click
  19. kick — in football
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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