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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ground — a position
  5. shower — rain
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. board — to get on
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pop — soda
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a committee
  14. kick — in football
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pop — music
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ground — crushed

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