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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. can — a tin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mug — to rob
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. scale — in music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mug — a face

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