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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 124 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bear — the animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. kick — in football
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hand — help

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