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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 124 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ground — a position
  3. kick — in football
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cue — for pool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. date — the fruit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. row — a line
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — an untruth

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