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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pop — soda
  6. kick — in football
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — to visit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pop — music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. date — on the calendar

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