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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chest — a box
  4. pass — a permit
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of a king
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chest — of your body

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