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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mug — to rob
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. file — a tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mug — a face
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — 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