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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. kick — in football
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. game — a match
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — music
  24. kick — with a leg

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