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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mug — to rob
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kick — in football
  10. object — an aim
  11. mug — a face
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wind — moving air
  21. object — to protest
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — a thing
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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