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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bound — certain
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. game — a kind of play

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