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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 124 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. net — for catching
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. kick — in football
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. swing — in golf
  20. net — in sport
  21. row — a line
  22. net — after costs
  23. swing — music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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