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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cap — a lid
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cap — a hat
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ground — crushed
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ground — a position
  23. cap — of ice
  24. plane — in geometry

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