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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spring — the season
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — of water
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. spring — a coil
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — hasty
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kick — in football
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bowl — a football final

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