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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — a position
  7. tube — a container
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kick — in football
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — the underground
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — crushed
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. snap — to click
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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