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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rush — hurry
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. march — music
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — the month
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. file — a tool

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