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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a grade
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mug — a face
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — in football
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fall — the season
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. game — a match
  24. net — after costs

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