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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. last — final
  8. charge — a price
  9. dip — to sink
  10. charge — in control
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. charge — electricity
  14. row — to paddle
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. firm — a company
  17. cell — a phone
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. firm — steady
  22. row — a line
  23. firm — decided
  24. last — finally

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