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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — the most important part
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — in music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — in football
  12. swing — music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. content — the amount
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — to play on
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. content — happy
  23. swing — in golf
  24. content — videos and posts

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