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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lean — thin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. field — for sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — certain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bound — obliged
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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