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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. drill — army training
  7. rock — a stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. kick — in football
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — thin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — to bend

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