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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fine — all right
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rule — government
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — a permit
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ground — the earth
  21. track — a path
  22. kick — in football
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pass — to spend time

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