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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. present — there
  3. pass — a permit
  4. present — a gift
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. kick — in football
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rule — government
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — thin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. face — to confront
  19. present — the time now
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — to succeed

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