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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. net — in sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — for catching
  9. firm — a company
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pop — music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — decided
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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