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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. craft — boats
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mug — a face
  14. kick — in football
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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