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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. object — a thing
  4. kick — in football
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. drill — a practice
  7. swing — music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. object — to protest
  10. drill — army training
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — for betting
  13. net — for catching
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hand — in cards
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — an aim
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hand — help

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