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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — help
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a match
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rest — a break

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