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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fall — the season
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mate — a partner
  10. charge — in control
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kick — in football
  13. snap — to click
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fall — to drop

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