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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. field — farmland
  9. mark — a grade
  10. field — for sport
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. field — a subject
  13. lean — to bend
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ground — crushed
  20. kick — in football
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ground — a position
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lean — thin

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