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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. file — a tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lie — to recline
  5. net — for catching
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kick — in football
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. net — after costs
  16. season — in sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — of the year
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. file — a document

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