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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kick — in football
  19. net — in sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bark — to shout
  22. net — after costs
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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