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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — a break
  6. season — in sport
  7. kick — in football
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spring — a coil
  13. season — of the year
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spring — of water
  16. suit — in cards
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. clip — a video
  20. craft — boats
  21. clip — for paper
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rest — what's left

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