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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mark — a grade
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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