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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.

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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kick — in football
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bulb — for light
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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