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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.

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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lie — to recline
  9. branch — a division
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hand — help
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wave — of the sea

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