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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. face — to confront
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — rain
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cold — an illness
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cold — not warm
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ball — a dance

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