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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a ring
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. file — a document
  7. band — a music group
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lean — to bend
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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