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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — a stick
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. file — a tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kick — in football
  15. file — a document
  16. season — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bear — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. staff — employees
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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