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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spring — the season
  4. lean — thin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. present — the time now
  7. rash — a series
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. present — there
  14. rock — music
  15. charge — a price
  16. kick — in football
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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