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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kick — in football
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cell — a phone
  19. key — in music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rush — hurry
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stand — for spectators

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