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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. drill — army training
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. land — to come down
  7. lean — to bend
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. mug — a face
  15. lean — thin
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. land — ground
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — after costs
  24. wound — an injury

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