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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — help
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. season — in sport
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — of the year
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cold — an illness
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — in cards

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