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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a great time
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chip — for betting
  10. perch — the fish
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. content — happy
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. content — the amount
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — a tool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. kick — a thrill

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