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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 124 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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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rest — a break
  5. season — in sport
  6. rule — government
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. kick — in football
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — of the year
  19. toast — bread
  20. fall — the season
  21. rule — a law
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rest — what's left
  24. toast — the most admired

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