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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. firm — decided
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — a partner
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pop — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — soda
  17. game — a match
  18. mate — to breed
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. kick — in football
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — wild animals

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