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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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468
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — for betting
  6. band — a music group
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — a series
  16. fork — in a road
  17. face — to confront
  18. band — a ring
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rash — hasty

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