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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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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. kick — in football
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — the animal

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