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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. sharp — clever
  11. capital — money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bound — certain
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rock — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. capital — a city
  23. kick — in football
  24. capital — a big letter

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