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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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468
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kick — in football

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