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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mug — a cup
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. season — of the year
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cell — a phone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kick — in football
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mug — a face
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. season — in sport
  24. key — in music

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