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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kick — in football
  4. chip — for betting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chest — a box
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. march — the month
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. march — music

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