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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. staff — a stick
  3. can — a tin
  4. charge — electricity
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. march — music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rash — hasty
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — soda
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — in football
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — a series
  23. march — the month
  24. kick — a thrill

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