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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rest — a break
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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