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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. roll — a cake
  6. face — to confront
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — to point toward
  14. kick — in football
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mug — a cup
  23. face — part of the head
  24. row — a line

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