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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kick — in football
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chair — a leader
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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