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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — an aim
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. object — to protest
  11. ball — a dance
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — the time now
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. object — a thing
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — a gift

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