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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lean — thin
  6. bound — certain
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spring — the season
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. leaves — of a tree

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