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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — in cards
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chair — a leader
  9. race — humankind
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — help
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — a contest
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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