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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. last — to go on
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. last — finally
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. last — final
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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