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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — shares
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rest — a break
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — in football
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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