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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 watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mark — a grade
  4. plane — a tool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. date — the fruit
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bat — the animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. kick — in football
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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