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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. drill — army training
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — to wash
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. kick — in football
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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