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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. charge — in control
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. charge — electricity
  7. last — to go on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. last — final
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. kick — in football
  21. last — finally
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. charge — a price
  24. bear — to put up with

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