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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kick — in football
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — finally
  9. clip — a video
  10. face — part of the head
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pit — in a race
  15. face — to confront
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. clip — to cut
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. last — final
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pit — a hole
  24. calf — of the leg

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