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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. file — a document
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a line of people
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. kick — in football
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a tool

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