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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. face — to point toward
  3. object — a thing
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. face — to confront
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. kick — in football
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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